Spirited Away 2: The Imperium Curse
by Quincieevee
Summary: Haku finally has the courage to face Yubaba and ask for freedom. It's been almost a year now after Chihiro left the Spirit World. Instead of being free though, Haku is put under a very powerful curse called the Imperium Curse. He is now trapped in the Human World. Will he ever find a way back to the Spirit World? Or will he be trapped there forever?
1. Chapter 1: Spirited Away

**After watching Spirited Away, the end was so... incomplete. I just HAD to write a sequel to it. I hope you like it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.**

"Today I'm going to show you how to amplify a spell," Yubaba said to young Haku. "Never use this unless there is no other way because this could be very dangerous. It's called the Imperium Seed."

In her hand was a tiny black seed, about the size of a grain of rice. It didn't seem impressive at all.

"These are very rare," she continued, "and only found in the human world. I only have one here, and it was passed down generations. It only blooms once a year, and makes a curse almost impossible to break, and also makes it worse."

"So if you wanted to teleport someone somewhere," young Haku asked. "It would confine them there?"

"Exactly," Yubaba nodded. "The only way to break a curse is to get another Imperium Seed and use it for a counter-curse." Haku nodded curtly.

"Lesson over! Get some lunch."

Haku woke up from that dream. He often had dreams about lessons when he had to use them. But why would he have to remember the Imperious Seed one? It seemed perfectly pointless.

Haku cast his thoughts away as he got ready for work. Today was a special day, though. Today was the day he would finally stand up to Yubaba and quit. He would quit being her apprentice and stop working for her altogether. When Chihiro came, she showed him that Yubaba was using him and it would be very difficult. But now he found his real name, and he just had to make the final step.

To quit.

* * *

Yubaba waited as Haku walked in to talk with her. She knew that he would come eventually. There were even rumors going around the bath house that he would quit. She already had it all planned out. She was just simply waiting.

"Yubaba!" Haku's eyes became green as he came through the door, face dead serious. "We need to talk."

"Sure," Yubaba called, voice as light as air as she tidied up her desk. "What is it?"

Haku heaved a big sigh, gathering up all the courage. "I want to quit."

"WHAT?" Yubaba cried. All the papers scattered across the floor. Her hair began to tremble as magic built up around her. "Quit?"

"Yes."

"Being my apprentice?"

"Everything. I want to work someplace else."

Yubaba was hurt. Not terribly, because she knew that she would eventually convince him, but still. Yes, she did trick him. Yes, she wasn't a very good teacher. But still. He mattered to her.

"I want to leave this place," Haku continued, determined.

"You want to leave?" Yubaba looked hurt. "Me?"

"You tricked me. You're the reason I'm leaving."

"But you don't have your name," Yubaba's lips curled up the slightest bit.

"Yes I do," Haku argued. "Chihiro gave it to me. My name is Kohaku River. Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi."

As the last words flew from his mouth, the piece of parchment in which he signed flew toward him. He was about to tear it when Yubaba stopped him.

"No! Please don't!" Yubaba shouted. "I'm your teacher! I taught you magic! I gave you a job! I took you under my wing! I made you a master! And you want to leave?"

"Yes. I do."

And with that, he tore it.

* * *

Haku felt his name flutter back to him when he toar the paper. He was now free to go wherever he wanted. He wasn't in control of this evil witch.

Yubaba's face filled with sadness. "At least can you enjoy a roasted lizard with me?"

Haku felt a pang of sympathy. "Ok. Fine."

Yubaba gave him a roasted lizard right out of the oven. It was still warm.

"Thank you, Yubaba," Haku smiled in delight as he swallowed it. He felt a weight fall upon him internally. "What did you do?"

Yubaba smiled crudely. "Stay here and I'll lift the curse. You must sign this document," a quill and paper flew in front of him. "Leave and you'll have to bear the curse forever. Decide now."

Haku looked at the paper. "NO!" he decided and tore the paper in half.

"I'm so sorry I have to do this to you," Yubaba sighed as Haku disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2: Haku Returns

"Come on!" someone called from downstairs. "Food's ready!"

Chihiro groaned and turned over. Her bed was so comfortable, she didn't want to leave.

"Don't you want to practice getting up for school?" her dad called.

The school was starting tomorrow. She would finally meet some new friends. Last year wasn't so successful though. No matter how hard she tried, she never had any real friends. There were some people who were nice to her, but they weren't really friends. She wanted to practice getting up early so it wouldn't be so hard later. But so far, it wasn't working out so well…

"Be down in a sec," Chihiro called as she drifted back to sleep…

About a year ago, Chihiro set foot in the Spirit World. The adventure seemed to come back vividly. Sometimes, she would think it was a dream. But somehow, she knew it wasn't. It wasn't only logical (all of a sudden it went from the 7th to the 21st of August), but she felt it. It was real. She knew it in her heart.

THUMP! Something fell on her, pushed her off the bed.

Chihiro moaned and looked up at her bed. She gasped when she what did it. Or should I say, who did it.

Haku, her long lost friend from the Spirit World, was there, staring into her brown eyes. For a moment they just stared at each other in surprise, not knowing how to react. Then she felt joy.

"Oh Haku!" she jumped up and hugged him. "I missed you so much!"

Haku stood there feeling the same, joy. "I missed you too."

Suddenly, Haku withdrew, worried. "What's wrong?" Chihiro asked and suddenly realized what was wrong. "Why are you here?"

"I-I don't know," Haku looked down at his hands. "One moment I'm at Yubaba's office, asking for independence, and the other I'm here, standing in your room."

"We've gotta get back to the Spirit World quick before my parents find out you're here!"

So Chihiro and Haku ran downstairs.

"Chihiro!" her mom called, looking straight at Chihiro and Haku. They froze. "Come and have breakfast! I thought you would never come down!"

It was like she thought Haku was invisible.

"Of course," Haku mumbled. "They can't see me yet. I haven't eaten food from this world."

"But I thought you have to cross the bridge to be seen," Chihiro said.

"The rules here are different," Haku explained.

Chihiro quickly ate her breakfast and told her parents she's going off on a bike ride.

"Oh Chihiro!" her mom shook her head. "I'm tired of you now! You said yesterday after breakfast you were going to help me clean the house. No leaving until you're done." Chihiro groaned at set off to work. Hours went by as she cleaned. Finally, she was done, but it was almost dinner. She raced to her bicycle and set off toward the woods.

"Remember to wear your helmet!" her dad called after her, as his stomach jiggled from his obesity. Chihiro coasted along the side of the road and turned right into a foresty trail, so small that a car could barely fit through. She remembered being scared entering the tunnel, but now she felt confident, and a little sad that Haku had to leave so early.

"Bye Haku!" Chihiro called as he jumped onto the water, walking on it as if on land. He waved a good-bye.

But then, something strange happened. He had made it halfway across the river when he bumped into an invisible barrier. He put his hands on it and tried to push through it. Then he flew above the river, drew back, and collided with the barrier. He plunged into the river, and the waters carried him to Chihiro. She ran to the riverbank and pulled Haku out.

"What happened?" Chihiro asked, worried.

"I-I don't know," Haku replied, confused. "She used a teleportation spell. I should be able to go… oh no!" He looked at the floor, eyes fearful. Blood drained from his face.

"What is it?" Chihiro questioned, worried. "Are you okay?"

"The Imperium Seed," he gasped, breathing heavily. "It was in my dream… it must have been a warning somehow."

"What is the Imperium Seed?" Chihiro repeated, anxious now.

"It amplifies a spell… or curse. Instead of just teleporting me, it trapped me here. It also makes it almost impossible to break…" Haku stumbled, on the verge of falling now. "If I don't return to the Spirit World soon, my soul will fade away."

Chihiro ran over and caught him before he hit the ground.

"There's still a way, right?" Chihiro reasoned. "You can't die! I just found you!"

Haku's eyes fluttered open. "There are two ways to end this curse. To find the rare Imperium Seed or to give in to Yubaba."


	3. Chapter 3: Close Call

"What does the seed look like?" Chihiro asked Haku, still by the riverbed.

Haku walked over to her and placed his hand on her head. She instantly saw Haku's young memories when he was learning magic.

" _Today I'm going to show you how to amplify a spell," Yubaba said to young Haku. "Never use this unless there is no other way because this could be very dangerous. It's called the Imperium Seed."_

 _In her hand was a tiny black seed, about the size of a grain of rice. It didn't seem impressive at all._

" _These are very rare," she continued, "and only found in the human world. I only have one here, and it was passed down generations. It only blooms once a year. It makes a curse almost impossible to break, and it also makes it worse."_

" _So if you wanted to teleport someone somewhere," young Haku asked. "It would confine them there?"_

" _Exactly," Yubaba nodded. "The only way to break a curse is to get another Imperium Seed and use it for a counter-curse."_

 _Chihiro was filled with sadness as Haku ended the memory. She knew it was Haku's sadness, missing his home on the other side of the river. When he ended the memory, his sadness still stayed with her. And then it slowly faded away…_

"You understand now?" Haku asked.

"Yeah," Chihiro nodded, wiping away tears. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Haku patted her. "It's not your fault… but I need your help. I can't get across the river. But you can. I can't survive without spirit food. But be careful. Only take the fruit from the trees. Without it, I'll slowly fade away. Come back before sunset."

"Okay," Chihiro agreed as she set off across the river.

* * *

Chihiro entered the Spirit World for the second time. She glanced at the sun. It was clearly not sunset, but it was getting close. She had about five minutes to find enough fruit.

She started running now, not toward the bath house, but along the river toward many trees. She rushed through the mangrove, checking for fruit. Many of them were not ripe yet, but as her shadow grew longer, pulled them off anyway. Finally, she reached a tree with ripe fruit. She pulled down as many as she could as the sun was seconds from setting. She only pulled down two when it was finally sunset. She pulled down three more and rushed out of the mangrove toward the river. Spirits started arriving.

"Hey look!" one called. "There's a human girl taking our food! Turn her into a pig!" Chihiro only ran faster. Suddenly she saw Yubaba's bird descend toward her. She ran even faster and accidently dropped one. She left it there and rushed across the river. She dropped two more. Finally, she was across the river. The spirits called and jeered at her, but they could not follow. At the end, she was only left with three.

"Chihiro!" someone called from the other side of the river. Chihiro turned around and waved at Rin. Then, she finally made her way back toward Haku.

"Good job," Haku cheered, but his smile lessened a little bit when he saw she brought only four.

"Sorry," Chihiro apologized.

"It's okay," Haku comforted. "Better than nothing. You did good."

"Why only the fruit?" Chihiro finally asked. "Why not other food?"

"Because they would get angrier if you took cooked food. The next time you visit, they'll turn you into pigs. Since it's only fruit, they'll probably forget about it."

"Okay…"

* * *

Rin wiped the sweat from her forehead. She just spent hours cleaning. It was finally dinner. She rushed downstairs into the dining hall and got a bowl of soup. After she finished drinking it, she went outside on a little stroll around the streets.

She got to the border between the Spirit World and the Human World. She wished she could cross the river and find Chihiro. She missed her so much. But she knew the rule. Any spirit who crosses over the borderline in search for a human must never return to the Spirit World again. Rin sighed and watched the sunset.

Suddenly, something burst out of the mangrove, dropping fruit. She instantly chased the little rascal to the river. She realized it was a human. She was about to catch her when she recognized the human. It was Chihiro! She lowered her hands and slowed down at the river. Chihiro crossed the river to the other side.

"Chihiro!" Rin called. Chihiro turned around at the other side of the river and waved. Rin realized who she brought the fruit for.

Haku, the river spirit, was standing right next to her. She had brought the fruit for Haku.


	4. Chapter 4: First Day of School

Chapter 4

First Day of School

Chihiro woke to the beautiful sounds of birds chirping as she gently kicked off her covers. She rose from the bed, yawning and stretching. She walked to the window, and pink petals floated into her room from blossoming apple trees. She breathed in and could smell the sweet aroma. She put on comfortable clothes and walked downstairs. Haku joined her and she ate her delicious oatmeal. She jumped on her bike, slowly pedaling along the trail to her school…

Chihiro would've preferred that compared to reality. That was just a dream. This is how it really goes:

Chihiro woke to a clatter of dishes as her father accidentally dropped his plate. "WAKE UP ALREADY CHIHIRO!" he screamed from downstairs. Her mother was already in her room, ripping the covers from her bed, freezing every inch of her once perfectly relaxing warmth. "HURRY UP A STORM'S COMIN'!" her dad called. Of course, all her comfortable clothes were in the wash, so she put on the most uncomfortable clothes and an itchy jacket on top. She ran downstairs, almost tripping over the last step, and quickly ate her soggy cereal. She put on her backpack and rushed to her bike (which the back tire was flat) and pedaled hastily to school. Haku, who had no idea what was happening, trailed behind Chihiro, floating totally relaxed next to her the whole time.

Halfway to school, the sky was darkening. It showed signs of a great storm ready to start any second. Chihiro pedalled harder as she neared school. She was parking her bike outside the school when it started to rain. It wasn't gradual, like most storms, but once it started, you get the full blow. By the time she got to class, she was soaking wet and almost late.

Not a very good way to start the school year.

"Hello, class," the teacher at the front introduced when the bell rang. "My name is Mrs. Iken. Welcome the sixth grade. In my class, you must respect the rules. And if you read the whiteboard, you would know to not track mud or water into my classroom."

All the students giggled as Chihiro sunk in her seat, trying to make herself as small as possible. She looked up at the whiteboard and noticed it was filled with rules. And rule #24 said that it was prohibited to track mud or water into the classroom. Chihiro's cheeks turned red from embarrassment.

Chihiro sat at the end of her row. Right next to her was an empty seat. Haku took the seat, and for the first time, she noticed him.

While the teacher was going on about the rules, Chihiro whispered to Haku, "What are you doing here?"

Haku shrugged, "I was following you. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Um. Stay at home," she muttered angrily.

"My name is Ikari," the girl next to her introduced. "I won the drawing contest last year and the year before that and the year before that for the T-shirt designing contest for the school." Everyone clapped loudly when she was done.

"My name is Chihiro," Chihiro stated, aware that everyone was staring at her.

"Tell us about yourself," Mrs, Iken urged.

"I… um… like to ride my bike…"

"And you also like to track water into the classroom," Ikari added. Everyone laughed at this statement.

Everyone knew Chihiro. She was the #1 target of all bullies. She was not off to a good start. She was so embarrassed by now, she felt like crying. She looked down at her desk letting her hair fall over her face.

"It's okay," Haku comforted. "I bet you have many other friends that can help you right now."

"I don't have any other friends," Chihiro's voice cracked.

Haku patted her, "I bet you'll make many other friends this year. I mean, last year was so, well, last year. You'll do fine." Haku accidentally bumped Ikari.

"What?" Ikari asked the boy next to her.

"I didn't do anything."

"Did YOU do that?" she asked Chihiro, annoyed.

"I didn't do it."

"WHO'S DOING THAT!" Ikari yelled, standing up.

"Ms. Ikari. Please sit down," Mrs. Iken commanded. "And rule #13 states that you can't yell out in class. Also, in rule #29, it says no talking in class without raising your hand. Today I'll let you off with a warning, but next time you'll get detention."

Chihiro wasn't listening to the teacher, though. She was thinking about how great the school year was going to be.

She finally could enjoy it.

* * *

"Okay everyone!" Mrs. Iken. "Start… NOW!"

Haku watched everyone flip the paper and take the test. There was one extra test in his row, so he flipped his also.

He took a writing tool that Chihiro called a pencil out and stared at the questions. '2x+24=47 What is x?' one of them said. Haku had no idea. He glanced over at Chihiro, who was almost done with the problem. She subtracted 24 from each side to get 2x=23. Then she divided each side by 2 and got 11.5. Haku smacked his head. It was so obvious! How come he didn't think about it.

Haku tried to write the answer in the box but all that came out was little pieces of rubber. Chihiro grabbed his pencil and flipped it over. He realized he was writing with the wrong side.

Spirits were trained to the basics: addition, subtraction, multiplying, and dividing. They weren't taught that much in mathematics because they had to study a harder concept: magic. Haku stared at his paper, working out the problems, sometimes taking a look and Chihiro's paper to see how to do it. But towards the end, he was getting it himself. He even started to realize some mistakes Chihiro made. Soon he flipped his test over again and waited for the rest of the class. While he was waiting, he noticed a blank section called Name. _Well, I have to fill out everything…_ he thought and put the name Kohaku.

Everyone passed the tests down to the end, where it was collected by the teacher. Then they all had a snack break.

* * *

"Wow," Haku breathed. "That test was hard…"

"I know," Chihiro agreed, getting the snack out of her backpack. "It was hard. Wait a minute. You took the test?" She was in shock.

"Yeah," Haku replied. "Why not?"

Chihiro facepalmed. "Because you're not supposed to! You're not an actual student! You're a spirit!"

"Oops," Haku smiled. His eyes sparkled. Chihiro couldn't help but smile also.

"It's okay," Chihiro comforted. "No one would notice."

Back in the classroom, the teacher was passing back tests. Soon it was Chihiro's turn as she walked up to the front and received her test. She had gotten an A. She smiled a bit, but she wanted an A+. She realized it was a silly mistake. She grumbled on her way back to her seat.

"And the only A+ was Haku!" Iken announced. Haku was about to get up, but Chihiro stopped him. "You can't," she murmured.

"Haku! The only 100%!" the teacher repeated. "Going once! Going twice! Going in the trash." Mrs. Iken slipped it into the trash. Haku, using his powers, lifted the paper out of the trash can and made it fly toward him. No one noticed.

Haku smiled. He had gotten full score on his first try. Yes, he did look at Chihiro's paper. But still. He was proud of himself.

"Good job," Chihiro whispered.

"Thanks," Haku replied.

The rest of the day went by quickly. But there was one thing very special about the end of the day.

"This is my last class," Chihiro smiled. "It's music. I play the violin."

Haku was amazed by all the different instruments on the walls. They were as tiny as a silver rod to a big, curvy golden tube. It was a wide-open space in the middle, and he realized that Chihiro wasn't by his side anymore. She had gone to get a rectangle case from another room. She came back and sat in the front. She unpacked as all the other kids filed into the classroom.

Haku stood in the front of the classroom, listening to all the instruments play music. It was very different from Spirit World music. Spirit World music often included frogs croaking, timers clicking, and ukuleles playing. Human World music included something called an orchestra and band playing. There were violins, cellos, violas, and basses in the orchestra and trumpets, saxophones, trombones, flutes, clarinets, and drums.

"I like it when you play that voilan," Haku whispered to Chihiro after an amazing song.

"It's called a violin," Chihiro corrected and began the next song.

The next song was very very VERY sad. It reminded Haku of home. As Chihiro was playing, Haku snuck into the corner of the room and started crying. It was very little at first, but after a really beautiful part, he collapsed in sobs. He tried to hold it back but he couldn't. Chihiro looked curiously at him during the rests but started back up again. At the end, Haku's face was wet with tears.

"Are you okay?" Chihiro asked.

"Yes," Haku answered, wiping away his tears. "It's just… It's just the song was… so, so beautiful. It reminded me of home. What was the name?"

" _One Summer's Day_ ," Chihiro replied proudly. "We've been practicing for a long time now. But don't worry, we'll get you back home. I promise."


	5. Chapter 5: What to be Lost

Chapter 5

What to be Lost

Chihiro and Haku sat by the river dividing both worlds. They watched the sunset as beautiful colors reflected off of the river. Soon the stars were shining brightly, and they needed to go home.

"I wish I could go back over there," Haku sighed. Tears glistened in his eyes, threatening to fall.

"It's okay, Kohaku," Chihiro patted him. "We'll find a way to get you back home. One way or another."

"Thank you, Chihiro," Haku sniffled. "I'm so glad to have you."

"Hey, you did the same thing when I was lost in the Spirit World."

Haku smiled. He recalled the time when Chihiro accidentally wandered into the Spirit World with her parents. Haku saw her and rescued her from being turning into a piglet. She was called Sen then. Haku sometimes wondered why he rescued Sen in the first place. But then he remembered that call, urging Haku to help her. He always wondered what that voice was, or who it was. It was something so distant… yet so close. It guided him along the whole journey.

"Haku?" Chihiro asked, suddenly, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes? What?"

"I've been wanting to ask you this for a long time…" Her voice trailed off as she looked at him.

"What is it?"

Chihiro took a long breath, as if preparing to ask a very important question. "Why does your eyes keep changing color?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah. First it's green, then it's brown, then it's dark green, then it's jade…"

Haku was appalled. He blinked. He was utterly speechless.

"I have another question…" Chihiro went on.

"What? And it better not be about my eyes…"

"It's not."

"Okay then. What is it?"

"Why does your hair color keep changing."

Haku got up and headed toward the tunnel.

"Hey!" Chihiro called, running after him. "Wait up! You didn't answer my question…"

* * *

 _Haku was in the bath house again. He was in Yubaba's office. She loomed over him like a lion compared to a mouse. Her face was dark and evil._

" _Will you share a roasted lizard with me?" she held out the lizard._

" _Sure," Haku answered. He unwillingly reached toward it as every thought in his head screamed no. Right before he touched it, Yubaba dissolved. Then her office. Soon, the whole bath house._

 _A new scene appeared, and Haku was now in a grove where pink flowers grow on bushes. He was far from Yubaba's office. He recognized the place where he gave Chihiro her clothing from the Human World._

" _Do you remember this place?" someone called out. Haku looked around and found himself faced with an old spirit, leaning on a crutch. He sat down next to Haku._

" _Yes," Haku replied. "This is where I gave a human named Chihiro her clothing and her name."_

" _Yes," the spirit nodded. "You do remember."_

" _Who are you?" Haku questioned after a moment._

" _Ah, that does not matter…" the spirit shook his head. "Some people call me Kawa no Kami. But please, just call me Kami. I am a river spirit, like you."_

 _They sat there, sun shining on them, giving them warmth. "Why are you here?" Haku asked after a while._

" _To deliver an important message," the Kami answered. "Later in your adventure, you will have to make a choice. A choice between here in the Spirit World, or there," he gestured toward the Human World beyond the river, "in the Human World."_

" _I need to get back here, to the Spirit World," Haku stated. "It is my only home after I lost my river in the Human World. I just have to!"_

" _Ah, yes," he sighed. "But don't be hasty your decision. Think about it," he put Chihiro's old rubber band in Haku's palm. "And remember what you will be losing…" The last words echoed in his head even when he woke up._

* * *

Haku woke up, panting. It was still late at night, and the sun had not yet risen. _The dream felt so real,_ Haku thought. Most of his dreams were hazy and weird. But this one felt real. He could see the details so well, and nothing was weird about it. He actually _felt_ the sunlight. _"And remember what you will be losing..."_ He closed his eyes as emotions rushed through him. He realized that he had been clutching something. He opened his hand. It was Chihiro's rubber band. (LOL that rhymes). The rubber band was Chihiro's until he had made a new one for her to symbolize their friendship. Her old one was lost and forgotten.

 _How?_ Haku thought. _How did this happen? It was a dream! How did I end up with this?_ But a calmer part of Haku answered. _That spirit was trying to tell me something. To consider staying in the Human World. But no. I must go back to the Spirit World. It's my home..._ The sky outside started to brighten, colors bleeding into it. Haku stood up and faced it, a gentle breeze blowing. He was determined as ever. _I WILL find the Imperium Seed._

He rushed to Chihiro's parent's room and put them under a sleeping spell (that would last a couple days). He went to Chihiro's computer (that she had taught him how to use the day before) and sent her teacher a message that she was sick and couldn't come for the next couple days. He did the same for her parents. But when he came back into Chihiro's room, he found her dressed and ready.

"What are you doing?" Chihiro asked.

"To find the seed," Haku answered.

"I'm coming with you." Haku nodded. Chihiro got a bunch of things and nodded. Haku grabbed Chihiro and jumped out of the window. He turned into a dragon and soared across the skies.

They were going to find the Imperium Seed.

 **I'm sorry that I haven't been updating. I've been writing way too many stories lately... I hope I could update more often though!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Library

"So," Chihiro asked Haku. "Any ideas where the Imperium Seed is?"

"Nope," Haku answered. "Yubaba just told me it was in the Human World."

"Very specific..." Chihiro mumbled.

After a while, Chihiro asked Haku, "Any ideas how we're gonna get to the Imperium Seed?"

"Nope," Haku answered.

Chihiro grumbled. She was freezing in the forest outside her house. It was dawn, and it was really cold. The air was cold and damp after the storm yesterday. Shivers went up and down her spine, chilling the rest of her body. She curled up in a ball to hold the little bit of warmth still within her. Her body vibrated as it struggled to create more warmth from within before the frosty wind ripped it right out of her. How in the world was she supposed to find an Imperium Seed? It probably went by other names in this world. But what...

"The library!" Chihiro exclaimed.

"Huh?" Haku asked because of her sudden outburst.

"Great collections of the knowledge stored throughout history. From mapping the stars to identifying plants, they're all there. Whatever you need to find, whatever you need to know. Millions of people spent their lives studying, finding out things about the world. All knowledge passed down through humankind was collected inside the library," Chihiro said.

"The Imperium Seed must be there!" Haku cheered. "We're not doomed!"

"One problem..." Chihiro responded.

"What is it?" Haku asked.

"You'll see..."

* * *

Haku and Chihiro entered the town library. Millions of books lined the shelves, tight and secure in their place. The shelves stretched up high, reaching toward the two-story dome ceiling. The sparkling spines reflected light into the reader's eyes. The library was so vast, it was breathtaking. And terrifying.

"How are we gonna find the Imperium Seed in that?" Haku asked, terrified.

"It would be easy if we just called it an Imperium Seed," Chihiro stated. "But we have no idea _what_ we're looking for!"

"Need any help?" a librarian asked, coming over to Chihiro, obviously ignoring Haku.

"Yes," Chihiro nodded. "I'm trying to find a book that identifies plants. Seeds, in fact."

"Seeds?" the librarian lifted an eyebrow. "From which region?"

"Ummm..." Chihiro hesitated, looking and Haku. "All of them?"

"Sorry, we don't have one book for all of the regions," the librarian answered. "But I can give you some books that will cover all the regions if you want."

Chihiro nodded, "Yes, that will be nice..."

"See?" Haku said happily. "I won't be that bad..."

The librarian slammed down 10 fat books on the table, each at least 1000 pages each. The stack towered above the two friends' heads like a looming tower of doom. Inside one of those was the answer to their question, probably only a sentence long.

"You can first look through these books," the librarian said. "I'll get the rest once you're done."

"There's... more?" Chihiro stuttered.

"At least 15 more books like this," the librarian answered.

"NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Haku screamed (but no one heard him). "WE'RE DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!"

"Told ya," Chihiro responded. "Now let's get looking!"

Chihiro and Haku both took a book from the tower and painfully lowered it down. They opened it up, looking through the table of contents for the seed. Then after they didn't find it there, they looked through the book, carefully reading each character, making sure they didn't miss anything. They looked at the pictures, seeing if it matched the one in their visions. Chihiro sighed, flipping through another page, but finding nothing.

"Finished," Haku called after 1 hour, closing the book and interrupting Chihiro's reading.

"Did you find anything?" Chihiro asked, looking up from her book. Haku shook his head. Chihiro looked down sadly and continued with her book.

Hours flew by as Chihiro and Haku flipped through the books. They even skipped lunch to continue reading. Now, it was growing dark, and Chihiro flipped through the last book on the pile. She was growing weary, until she spotted this sentence.

"OMG! HAKU LOOK!" Chihiro exclaimed, shoving the book in Haku's face. "It looks exactly like the Imperium Seed from our visions!"

"What?" Haku questioned, but then read the sentence out loud. "'This seed, the Evening Sun Seed (scientific name: Tgisjokhepfdjhasfu Seed) is extremely rare; almost next to extinction. There is little information on this seed and what it grows into. We only know that it grows beside the-'"

"What is it?" Chihiro asked, urging him to continue.

"The Kohaku River," Haku finished.

 **AN: Hehe, sorry I wasn't updating for a while. A really LONG while. I am extremely sorry... I know I usually blame homework and school (yes, they are partially to blame), but it was also my fault for not taking interest in this story anymore. But now it's winter break and I am extremely bored, so I decided to write another chapter of this story. Once again, I am sorry, but I hope I can continue this story once more!**

 **Happy New Year!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Entrepreneur

Chihiro waited as the slow humming noise of the copy machine copied a page out of a book. It copied the Evening Sun Seed picture in black and white and the limited description below it. Haku waited invisibly by her side, intrigued by the sound, the smell, and the look. He flew around the machine, examining it in every angle, spinning in circles.

"Can you stop?" Chihiro muttered, grabbing Haku's shirt. "You're making me dizzy..." Haku sadly fluttered down, still glancing from time to time at the copy machine.

"Here you go," the librarian said, handing over the paper.

"Do I need to pay you?" Chihiro asked. "I don't have any money, though..."

"It's okay," the librarian answered, waving her off. "It's only one paper."

"Thank you," Chihiro nodded gratefully at the librarian.

"No problem," the librarian responded, smiling.

Chihiro turned away and walked toward the exit. She read the description over and over again, staring so forcefully she might've burned a hole in the paper. Haku was (literally) hovering above her, watching her with satisfaction.

"WOO HOO!" Haku cheered, doing a somersault in midair. "We know where the Imperium Seed is! WE'RE NOT GONNERZZZ!"

"Not so fast," Chihiro began, walking along the cobblestone sidewalk, not taking her eyes off the paper, fearing that their hard-earned work will somehow fly away like Haku in his dragon form. "We still have to make sure the police don't find me, Yubaba doesn't find you, and not to mention we're looking for a seed that grows beside a non-existent river-"

"That sounds like you're looking for the Evening Sun Seed," an entrepreneur exclaimed from behind them, making them both jump. He had many seeds, rows after rows, everything from cabbage seeds to mushy mushroom seeds. The sun came out, revealing a spotlight on the seeds. Haku's eyes grew wide and teary as he saw the packs of seeds.

"Wait a minute..." Chihiro realized. "That's not the sun, that's just a lightbulb." All three looked up at the bright lightbulb shining down on the seeds. Chihiro looked at him with her death stare. The entrepreneur shrugged and giggled feverishly like he had nothing to do with it.

Chihiro shook it away and glanced at all the seeds, looking for the Evening Sun Seed pack. Obviously, this man can't be trusted. She kept giving him frequent glances as sweat dripped down his face.

"Where's the Evening Sun Seed?" Haku demanded. "You said you had it!" Obviously, the entrepreneur didn't hear so Chihiro translated for him.

"W-what does it look like again?" the entrepreneur asked, making sure he knew exactly what she was looking for. Chihiro handed him the paper and he studied it carefully.

"It's right here!" the entrepreneur fake-cheered, still sweating. He reached under his cart and took out a seed pack, still holding that paper. Haku smiled. Finally, they found his ticket back home.

Chihiro, still suspicious of the entrepreneur, snatched it out his hand and examined it. "How much does it cost?" Chihiro asked.

"$1000," the entrepreneur answered, still smiling.

"1000 DOLLARZ?" Chihiro cried, her eyes popping out of her skull. "FOR A SINGLE SEED?"

"Yes," he answered. "But it's okay. I accept any type of currency. For example, it would be 100,000 gold coins, 1 million silver coins, 50 horses, 1 big bag of potato chips..." The list went on and on, but Chihiro wasn't listening.

Chihiro examined the bag. There was no way that this seed was the Imperium Seed. But there was no proof. Until she found...

"Wait a minute!" Chihiro realized, growing angrier by the second. "It says here the scientific name is the Tgisjkhpfdjhasfu Seed! But the real scientific name is the Tgisjokhepfdjhasfu Seed!" The entrepreneur's eyes grew wide. He was caught.

"GET BACK HERE!" Chihiro hollered as he ran down the stone sidewalk, Chihiro close behind. He ran across the paved street, almost getting run over by some cars. A car beeped loudly as it screeched to a stop as Chihiro followed, hot on his trail. She panted wildly as the entrepreneur ran out of the town and into the city, where skyscrapers stretched higher than Chihiro could see and lights brighter than Chihiro ever could've imagined. Chihiro always wanted to visit the city, but her father told her that it was too dangerous. Under normal circumstances, Chihiro would've stopped to enjoy the view. But now he had a thief to catch.

"What did he steal anyway?" Haku asked, floating beside her.

"He..." Chihiro panted, still sprinting as fast as she could, "he took my paper. The one with all the information about the- *pant* the Imperium Seed."

"Want some help?" Haku offered. "I could give you a lift..."

"No," Chihiro answered, turning it down. "If anyone sees us- *huff* we'll be in big- *puff* trouble..."

Chihiro's legs were getting really sore now. She started slowing down, still running along. She decided to take a break, drenched in sweat. She panted, looking down at her knees, then her pink shoes, and finally the cobblestone sidewalk. Her eyes followed the cobblestone sidewalk, expecting that eventually to spot the thief, but the sidewalk was deserted. He was gone! (Dun, dun, DUN!)

* * *

"UGH!" Chihiro cried out. "We lost him!"

"It's okay," Haku comforted. "We already have the information in our heads."

"Yeah, I guess," Chihiro sighed. "But what if he tries to find the seed? What if he beats us to it? What if-"

"Who cares?" Haku interrupted. "It's not like he's gonna try to stop US from finding the-"

"IT'S HER!" a voice cried out. Chihiro turned around to find the entrepreneur talking to the police. "SHE'S THE ONE WHO STOLE MY EVENING SUN SEED!" Chihiro looked down and realized she was still holding the seed.

"Maybe we can trade it with him for the paper..." Haku wondered out loud.

"THIS WAS A PHONY SEED!" Chihiro was already yelling back, waving the seed pack back and forth. "PLUS, YOU STOLE MY PAPER!"

"Paper?" the police said. "Srsly?"

"Yeah!" Chihiro shouted. "I needed that!"

"ARREST HER!" the entrepreneur screamed. The police advanced on her.

Chihiro's eyes widened as the police came closer. "I-I don't even want this seed!" Chihiro stuttered, throwing the pack onto the ground. "There. See? I don't want it. All I want is my paper back..." Chihiro stepped back cautiously. "I don't want any trouble..." But the police kept advancing. So Chihiro kept stepping back. Until she backed up into a wall. She waited until the police was only a few feet in front of her before darting out of her hiding place.

Chihiro ran around the police and ran past the entrepreneur. He tried to grab her but she ducked under his hand. She ran along the sidewalk, her feet smacking into the ground. She heard the police and the entrepreneur chasing her.

"Backup!" the police requested. "I request backup on the corner of Mushy Mushroom Drive and Flamio Hotman Street!" Suddenly, several police cars pulled up in front of her.

Chihiro slipped into a dark alley. The police and the entrepreneur raced passed her. Chihiro sighed in relief. She was so over running now...

"Yo, little girl," a shady man said from the shadows. "You tryin' to get us all in trouble?"

"No," Chihiro answered. "I just needed a temporary hiding spot."

"Well dis spot is taken already," the man said. "Now you betta' leave right now or else..." He took out a knife that glinted in the light.

"Let's go Chihiro," Haku whispered, right beside her.

"Good idea," she muttered back. The alley was too small for Haku to turn into a dragon, so Haku grabbed Chihiro by the arms and floated upwards. The shady man gasped as he saw Chihiro flying.

"Come on, Kohaku!" Chihiro cheered. "Turn into a dragon now!"

"I," Haku said, trying hard. "I can't!"

"What?!" Chihiro shouted, surprised.

"I don't know," Haku answered. "I've been away from the Spirit World too long. I think my powers are somehow, fading away..."

"But, but Haku! You..."

"We need to find that seed," Haku stated. "And fast." Haku flew up into the clouds and cast a simple spell on it. Haku set down Chihiro on the clouds. They both sat on the cloud and looked over the edge.


	8. Chapter 8: The Lost Spirit

_Rin looked around, staying low to the ground. Her senses were heightened greatly. She moved on her hands and feet as the prowled slowly, trying to catch the scent of food. Then she found it. It was only a whiff, a quick scent, but Rin caught it. She prowled closer, careful not to make a sound, eyes straight on the little mouse. She lay low, putting one foot in front of the other at a time. She steadied her wagging tail. She drew back her front paws, towering above the unexpecting creature. Then she pounced, her claws landing directly on the mouse's spine. But one second after she pounced, a net drew over her, trapping her. A strong scent of perfume came over her before she was carried away..._

Rin awoke from this nightmare. It has been the same dream over and over again, but now it is stronger than ever. It felt so real, not hazy like any other dream. Rin thought she was going crazy. _I have to tell someone about this before I go crazy!_ Rin thought. She got into her work clothes and climbed into the elevator. If anyone knew what was going on, it would be Yubaba.

The elevator stopped and Rin got off. She walked out and knocked on the door. The first, second, third, and fourth layers of doors opened up as Rin walked quickly into Yubaba's office.

"What is it now?" Yubaba asked boringly, checking some random papers. She barely looked up. Rin crinkled her nose as a strong scent of perfume overcame her.

"It's me, Rin," Rin said. "I've been having this strange dream lately. It's been happening for over a week now, and it's only getting worse. What's happening to me?"

"Ah," Yubaba answered, finally looking up. "You are a Lost Spirit, Rin."

"Lost Spirit?"

"Yes. There are many different types of spirits. Everything from the Great Moon Spirit to simple animal spirits. You see, each spirit represents something in the human world. In the human world, they are what they represent. In the Spirit World, they are in their spirit form. But the week of winter solstice and summer solstice is when all spirits must come to the Spirit World otherwise they lose their spirit form. The opposite happens during the Autumn and Spring Equinox. The spirits would lose their material form and all that's left is the spirit."

"But can't spirits in their spirit form wander into the human world?" Rin asked, thinking of Haku.

"Yes," Yubaba answered, "but only for a short while. Otherwise, their spirit form would slowly fade away. And if they already lost their material form, then they will soon fade from existence."

"They die!?" Rin exclaimed.

"Yes. Spirit food will slow down this process, but the spirit can only last at most for a week even with spirit food." Rin gaped at Yubaba.

Yubaba continued, "Spirits that have lost their spirit form are called Lost Elementals because they have forgotten who they are. Spirits that have lost their material form are called Lost Spirits because they have forgotten what they are and why they were placed on this planet. They have lost their purpose. Usually Lost Spirits were meant to wander the Spirit World forever until time ceased to exist, but that all changed when I came. I had a vision to help Lost Spirits. To make use of them. To give them a new purpose. And thus this bathhouse was created."

"But what does that have to do with my dream?"

"You, Rin, are a Lost Spirit. Everyone who works here is one. You are simply going through a phase. Those dreams were once memories of who you once were."

"But, but they were amazing!" Rin exclaimed. "I want to have my material form back!"

"I'm afraid that is impossible, Rin," Yubaba said, pouring out some tea. "Once you have lost your material form, you can't get it back."

"But, but..."

"I know it's hard," Yubaba patted Rin on the shoulder. "But you'll get over it soon. Soon you'll see what an amazing life I have in store for you here."

Rin nodded slowly and walked out the many doors, still digesting the information. A Lost Spirit? Something was missing. Something else Yubaba wasn't telling her. But what was it... Rin put a hand on her head. She was going to take the day off. Right now, she was going to take a nap.


End file.
